Rick, you might consider Smokemont. You would have plenty of camping room plus you would have a greater choice of water to fish. I don't think you would need reservations especially during the week. I am going to Smokemont Wednesday for 5 days and then I'll be out there again in October for another 5-6 days.
The folks at Duke power are shutting down the power plant on Nantahala for several weeks and the Nantahala should be very wadeable and some excellent fishing. You might consider that area. You could camp at Deep Creek and fish either...........all sorts of possibilities...........tight lines

Pitch Black, I agree with Jim, you would be better off on one of the feeder streams. If you go the lower bridge and get there first you can fish the gorge but you'll have to walk back down the creek when you get ready to leave, there are no trails in this section of the creek. Where ever you decide you will see plenty of humanity. The elk are rutting and this is bringing people by the car loads. If you want to escape this madness you can cross over the mountain and fish Big Creek. Best of luck & tight lines...........Bob

where is this bridge? what hopper and dropper to use? how far apart should they be? what about the area from steel bridge up past group camping? thanks

Rick, you might consider Smokemont. You would have plenty of camping room plus you would have a greater choice of water to fish. I don't think you would need reservations especially during the week. I am going to Smokemont Wednesday for 5 days and then I'll be out there again in October for another 5-6 days.
The folks at Duke power are shutting down the power plant on Nantahala for several weeks and the Nantahala should be very wadeable and some excellent fishing. You might consider that area. You could camp at Deep Creek and fish either...........all sorts of possibilities...........tight lines

Thanks,Bob
I'll study the maps of the area around Smokemont,since I'm new to fishing in the park.
I'm a map junkie,whether it's hiking,fishing or studying Civil War history,I like to get topo maps and read them...heck I just like looking at maps.
Please post about your trip to Smokemont,the only time I was ever in the area was just passing through,being a tourist.
Man,I wish I had started fishing the Smokies a long time ago,but I was into other things,I envy y'all who live close.
Rick

What are the dates when the Nantahala flow will be off? [I can't find squat on Duke's new website:-)].
Is the Nantahala all stocked 'bows? When does the state quit stocking? What fly works on stockers?
I ask for convenience since I've got a place there but have never fished it. TIA,Ghost

Ghost--I know the Nantahala intimately, and unlike most folks I do not consider long-term closure of the gates necessarily a good thing for the fisherman. I actualy much prefer to fish the tailwater portion of the stream when the power plant is generating. You have to pick your spots as far as wading goes, and the raft hatch is a aesthetic nuisance, but the fishing is IMO appreciably better. The key thing is that the trout don't have much time to make a decision and therefore can't study what floats by. There are a several places where there are islands which provide fishing away from the floaters, and also a bunch of places where you can work stream edges.
As far as the fish, I probably catch at least half a dozen stream-bred trout to every stocked fish. There are 'bows and browns, with the former predominating, but brown numbers have increased appreciably in recent years. One appealing thing about the lower Nantahala is that it is quite fertile, has fine insect hatches, and produces bigger trout than most mountain streams. You can also fish it at night if snakes don't trouble you, the only stream in N. C. where you can do so.
Jim Casadawww.jimcasadaoutdoors.com

GHOST, local word is that the generators will be idle from Oct.1st til the end of Dec. and will start back up after the first of the year. I have not seen anything in writing to confirm this. You could go to Nantahala Outdoor Centers web site and probably get more info. Their existance depends on the power plant and they should have some dates posted for their customers
Sorry I can't be more exact........Bob
__________________________fearnofishbob@gmail.com

Crockett--Something like a Parachute Adams, Royal Trude, Elkhair Caddis, Royal Wulff, Orange Palmer, or Tennessee Wulff on top with a small beadhed Prince nymph, Tellico, or Pheasant Tail as a dropper. Also, don't overlook terrestrials such as ants and yellow jacket patterns. I don't know of a katydid pattern (although I suspect some of the fly-tying wizards on the forum will), but stomachs of almost all of a mess of trout I cleaned for the table last week had katydid remains in them.
Jim Casadawww.jimcasadaoutdoors.com